C'est ça L'amour
by Sorceress Eiva
Summary: Tseng and Aerith knew each other for 15 years prior the beginning of VII, and a lot happened since then. Tseng's overview of events in that time. Spoilers for BC, CC, and VII. Looking to be a long one.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Have a disclaimer for this entire story, right here, right now. I don't own the rights to or anything within the Final Fantasy franchise; all characters in this story belong to Square Enix. Er, this is the first time I've written something in a very long time and I intend to keep on writing (I never do chapters! Feel priviledged.) this until the bitter, bitter end. Or until I die, either one. VII is by far my favourite FF of them all and I wanted to explore what I hope is a very underrepresented pairing - most of all I want to do it justice, so please review and CONCRIT TO YOUR HEARTS CONTENT. I love to make my work better.

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CHAPTER ONE

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At the time, I was nineteen, and I had already been working directly under the President and his closest lackeys for five years after I'd been plucked from my family home several years previously. Not that I'd particularly minded, but it had been with some trepidation that I had begun my training towards becoming the newest member of the Administrative Research department. On this particular day, I was sporting a bruise on my hip and thus shuffling around the large building that I worked at, not best pleased at having to attend the office on one of my days off (which were few and far between) and cursing the very day I'd been forced to leave my parents and start working for a company I had no love for. The lift had brought me to the sixty-ninth floor of my employer's building after an urgent summons had been directed at me only three-quarters of an hour previously, and I exited the cramped space into a much larger room furnished with three secretaries, one long desk and several computers.

"Go on up," one woman called to me as I approached their working space. She was polite but reserved; most people were once they recognized the crisp black suit that was my uniform. "He told me it's important business today, so don't waste any time." She smiled thinly at me before returning her attention to the computer screen. Respect and forced politeness bordering on fear was the most acknowledgement I gained from the few employees that knew about the sect I belonged to, and although I was beyond caring about the actions of others, it was just another reminder of how much life had changed. I pushed it to the back of my mind.

I took as much time as I could afford to waste ascending one grand staircase that took me on level higher; apparently my body protested if I lifted my leg too high, and I wasn't looking forward to another week of aches and pains. I could hear the voice of a man protesting something as I neared the top, and three steps later I sourced it to a scientist with bad posture and hair pulled back into a ponytail.

"..so you see, President, we absolutely must bring the specimen back here."

The addressee sighed out a great breath of cigar smoke, tapping his ash away with one meaty finger. "I understand, Hojo, but I am willing to allow the girl some degree of freedom for the time being. She is young and poses no problem to us... Ah, Tseng," he finished, spotting me hovering in the background. The man that was hunched over half-turned and shot me a murderous glare as I approached them, which I ignored. I was in no mood to entertain the temper of someone who obsessed over their work unhealthily. "Thank you for coming so quickly; my apologies for calling you out like this." He placed his cigar into an ashtray and stood, leather shoes creaking. "You have a special assignment today. I want you to take a visit to one of the sectors and meet with someone."

I inclined my head. "Sir. Will this require weaponry, or-"

Besides me, the scientist snorted. "Hardly. The target is a girl of approximately seven years of age. You are to persuade her to return to Shinra where she belongs." He brought one spindly-fingered hand to his chin. "I have been informed that should she overpower you in any form, she has the right to stay in the slums with whoever has taken her in and we will resign ourselves to -" he made a disgusted face. "-surveillance."

"Before you ask questions, have you heard of the Ancients?" the President asked me, and I nodded. There was, after all, an extensive library a few floors below. "This girl is said to be one - possibly the last in existence, as her biological mother is deceased. I do not want her turned against Shinra, so please refrain from force against her or her carer. If she refuses to return, she is permitted to stay where she is, and as Professor Hojo has stated, we will assign someone to watch over her until a later date. Do you understand?"

I nodded again, feeling some degree of relief wash over me at the knowledge that I wouldn't be overexerting myself. "I have a question, sir - did this child escape? Why is it such an important mission, the orders came so suddenly -"

"As a Turk, you should know that you shouldn't question orders," the man in the lab coat interjected, scratched his nose absently with nails bitten to a short but sensible length. "However, I believe that a little added knowledge will not affect your performance... if I may," he directed at the President, who showed no signs of stopping him. "Very well. A little over seven years ago, we discovered a traitor to Shinra living in the far north with the target and her mother. We escorted them to a containment facility near to where they were staying... while they showed signs of discontent, there seemed to be little to worry about. However, a year and a half ago, there was a breach of security and the specimens were able to escape." He coughed once before continuing in the same, flat tone. "We were unable to secure them and lost track of them for an extended period of time... However, several civilian reports indicate that they entered Midgar recently. The mother's body was found by the Sector Seven train station and an elderly lady living nearby took the child in."

He grabbed a yellow folder filled with papers and pushed it into my hands. "The rest of the information is in that file; read it as you travel."

"Yes, time is of the essence," the President added. "Tseng, I have arranged for a helicopter to take you to Sector Six where the woman lives. Persuade the target to return to us and report to me directly at the end of the day."

With that, I was dismissed, and five years of experience had taught me not to linger. I turned and walked back down the staircase I had come up by as the two men spoke further on what I could only assume was funding for the science department. The secretary from earlier glanced up again as I passed her, heading straight for the lift and shifting the papers in my grasp.

Inside the lift, my mind began to wander. The Ancients... I had thought they were wiped out hundreds of years ago, but apparently not. The target's mother must have desperately hated her life if she had been bitterly planning escape for almost six years, although that was understandable, considering the unfeeling report from Hojo. I guessed there was probably more to the case than he had let on, but tried to ignore it. My assignment wasn't to sit at a desk and do research; I had specifically been designated a role to carry out. The machinery around me whirred as I reached my floor.

"You're looking well, sir. We'll be leaving shortly, so please get in and buckle up."

I didn't recognize my pilot, but there were a lot of people that I had never seen before that knew my face around the Shinra building, so I wasn't bothered. I followed him out of the lift and past several doors, all shut. In addition to two others, this floor was used specifically by Administrative Research and any executives or head of departments that needed ferrying around the country. As we weren't formally recognized as an existing department, the other selective floors catered solely to the Turks, giving us space to research targets and plan missions. It was something of a privilege, but the times I found myself working at a desk saw a mainly empty floor.

We passed through a door at the end of a relatively long hallway and all of a sudden, the world was cold. We had exited the main building and were now standing forty-five floors above the plates of Midgar on one of three official helipads. The wind always tended to blow ferociously out here; a direct contrast to the dank, stagnant world of the slums. I clutched my hands tighter around the case files as we continued towards the nondescript helicopter sitting further out and hoped that nothing would fly away.

Once I was seated in the belly of the helicopter, it was as though I was encased in my own personal bubble. The winds howled around the metal and perspex and the hum of the engine sounded almost distant; it would take about ten minutes of undisturbed peace before we reached the destination. Exhaling, I opened the folder and began to read: there were papers on the subject; the minimal facts that the scientists working near Icicle had found from the subjects; papers with red lines crossed through them. On closer examination, these gave information on people that had been directly involved with the experimentees, Shinra, or both. I learnt quickly that these red lines meant the subjects were deceased, and contented myself with learning about my current target. "Sir, we'll be landing in a couple of minutes," came the crackle of the pilot's voice over the intercom. I put the papers down and glanced out of the window to a view of abject poverty. Disinterested, I rested my head on my hand and stared into the distance, ignoring the scenery below.

I stepped out of the chopper and began walking immediately, trying not to breathe in too deeply. The air in the slums always seemed to be stifling; a mixture of most certainly poisonous gases floating somewhere above the heads of the people that lived here. A few people were staring as I walked past - doubtless this was the first time they'd seen someone directly sent from Shinra that wasn't one of the infantry. Ignoring them, I took a left, walked around an accessories salesman, turned right and found myself in what I assumed was a parallel universe. I had to look behind me to make sure that I was still in one of the most run-down places on the planet: the way ahead was filled with all kinds of flowers. I continued with some hesitation, taking in as much of the scenery as I possibly could. It was the first time I'd seen flora for a couple of years.

"You must be from Shinra."

I paused, looking around before noticing the speaker. There was a large house some way ahead, and a lady reaching her sixties was standing outside the main door with a sweeping brush in one hand, greying hair falling out of the bun she'd scraped it into. She looked tired, as though she'd been expecting me for some time, one hand placed on her hip in a no-nonsense manner, though her expression was devoid of malice. She ran her eyes over my suit, my face, and sighed. "I can't say I haven't been expecting you... Please, come in." She swung the broomstick under her shoulder and entered the house, leaving the door open for me. Again, I hesitated somewhat - this lady was obviously someone of status, especially so in the slums, to have a house this large, and with a garden as well - but it was short lived, and I followed her in.

The house's interior smelt of potpourri and some kind of faint incense. The lady was standing at the bottom of a staircase, calling for another person to come down, and she shot me an apologetic look. Several muffled thumps came from above our heads, and my host walked past me into the substantial kitchen.

"Would you like something to drink?"

I was, momentarily, taken aback for the third time that day, unused to such displays of generosity. "I'm fine, thank you, Miss..." She waved a hand at me, shutting a cupboard door.

"Mrs," she smiled. "Elmrya Gainsborough. I would introduce you to my husband, but..." she disguised a sigh. "He's currently serving in Wutai. Please, make yourself at home; everything here is at your disposal."

I shook my head, biting back a small smile. "I don't intend to stay for too long, but my thanks nonetheless. It's been a long time since anyone in the slums was this hospitable."

"Mama?"

We both turned at the arrival of a quiet voice into the conversation, the lady moving forward to greet the newcomer. It was a girl, face pale and drawn, with long brown hair; I recognized her immediately from the photographs in the case files. She clutched onto Mrs. Gainsborough's green dress tightly as she eyed me warily. "You're... Aeris, aren't you? Aeris Faremis." I asked her, voice softening somewhat. She shook her head, never breaking her gaze, and a stab of confusion hit me. "You're not Aeris..?"

"You're saying it wrong," came the quiet reply, voice full of confidence despite her size and body language. "Aeri_th_."

"Oh. ...I'm sorry."

The child shook her head again, but this time a smile graced her lips, and she looked more alive. "Don't worry about it. Everyone says it wrong. What's... what's your name?"

"Tseng. It's... nice to meet you, Aerith. I was hoping that I would get to see you and Mrs. Gainsborough today."

"You were?" I nodded. "I have something important I need to talk to you about."

The girl let go of her carer's garments and let her hands hang at her sides, attention completely on me. She looked like sleep was all she'd ever need, but she said nothing and watched me with large green eyes expectantly. My mind ground to a halt and I was suddenly at a loss for words. I didn't want to scare or upset her, but I couldn't think of anything to introduce the situation other than _'I'm from Shinra, the company you probably hate with all your being, and have come to take you into custody on behalf of the science department.'_ What on earth was I supposed to say?

I looked at the older woman, instead. "...Do you know why I'm here?"

"I assume because of Aerith," she started, words uneasy and hesitant. "But I don't know what happened..."

"Allow me to explain, then. I was told that some time ago, two..." I thought frantically, not wanting to say 'subjects'. "...people escaped from one of our research facilities in the north. Last night it was brought to light that they had made their way to Midgar, and that they had been sighted at a train station nearby."

I saw her expression change, felt the atmosphere change from apprehensive to fearful. "I am under orders not to hurt either of you," I continued. "We at Shinra simply want Aerith to return to us, where she belongs." At her newfound mother's side, the girl frowned suddely.

"Never," she said, drawing attention to herself. She breathed in deeply and stood as tall as she could. "I'm not going with you."

A muscle in my jaw twitched, but I didn't feel angry. I hadn't intended to screw up. "Aerith..." I wracked my brains quickly. "You're a very special child. You have... special blood." If anything, her frown intensified, and I switched my gaze back to the lady in the room. "Her real mother was an Ancient, or one of the Cetra." "Oh..." she gasped quietly, eyes widening. I continued, ignoring her outburst.

"The Ancients are the only people who know where the Promised Land is, and will be able to take us there. The amount of Mako said to reside in that area exists in abundance, and Shinra intends to use it for purely selfless purposes. If she co-operates, Aerith will be able to bring happiness to all living in the slums. The President hopes that she understands and is willing to help as, as one of the last Ancients in the entire world-"

"He's wrong!"

She had looked so fragile and withdrawn; almost shy. I would have never thought that she would interrupt.

"I'm not an Ancient! I'm not!"

I took one step forward and mustered the most sympathetic expression I could, hoping to placate the child, though I knew there was no way she was going to come with me after that little outburst.

"But Aerith... surely you hear voices sometimes, when you're all alone?"

She glared at me and stuck her jaw out, hands on hips and breathing fast. Her eyes seemed to be watering. "No, I don't!"

A moment later, I was staring at empty space as she pushed past me and ran out of the still-open door. Awkward silence permeated the room, every movement suddenly deafening and clumsy. I cleared my throat, avoiding eye contact with Mrs. Gainsborough, who was looking at her feet.

"Does this mean you'll be taking her away anyway?" she asked, voice quiet and gaze still trained on her boots. Pity ran through me for a second for this woman who had no child or job; whose husband was oceans away and bound to be killed while on some fool's errand in Wutai. I watched her, thoughtfully.

"No. Aerith can stay with you for... for a while," I murmured. "I don't think anyone will issue orders for her to live with Shinra. Someone will probably be assigned to watch over her, but-"

"Watch over her?" she asked, protest stealing into her tone. "She's only a child, she won't be causing any trouble."

"It's not for me to decide," my voice was quiet but firm. "I can assure you that she won't be hurt from our side, but I can't promise anything else."

I straightened, feeling something click in my back, held back a wince. I gave the woman my thanks, to which she inclined her head slightly, and exited the house, leaving her standing in the middle of the room wondering what the future held in store. The garden's perfume hit me once more and I stopped to inhale deeply, knowing this was going to be the last time in a very long time that I would get to experience real flowers. There was a harsh after-scent that lingered in the back of my throat; the ever-present smog was around even in this seemingly pure place, and no breeze was going to clear the air anytime soon. I pulled a phone out of my pocket and dialled a number.

"Hello?"

"Tseng here. I want you to send a chopper to Sector Six and bring me back to Shinra immediately."

"Copy that, sir, I'll get on it now."

There was a rustling somewhere to my left, and I cast my eyes in that direction, wondering if some kind of monster had made its way into a civilian area. One clump of grasses and flowers was moving, and I turned my head to look at it directly. It stopped shaking, and I caught a glimpse of a pale face peeking out at me briefly, before harrumphing and disappearing. I decided against annoying the girl further and began to leave the area, feeling only slightly mollified.

* * *

I had prepared myself for almost anything the President could throw at me. I had whiled away the rest of the day at a desk with a pen and notepad, copying out the more important parts of the files Hojo had given me that morning for later analysis and study, committing facts about this Aerith girl to memory, trying to remember the sweet smell of fuchsia and jasmine. Evening had approached quicker than I'd anticipated, and I'd steeled myself when walking up that staircase for the second time that day - he was known to pack a punch occasionally, but hadn't seemed in a bad mood as I neared his desk.

"I trust you've come to report?" "Yes, sir. I met with the girl as planned and explained to her why Shinra needed her, but she refused to co-operate. She openly stated her dislike for Shinra but wasn't violent; the carer showed no signs of ever opposing us or aiding those that do. The husband of the woman is overseas in Wutai at the moment, serving in SOLDIER under General Hewley."

"You mentioned the Promised Land?"

"Yes, sir."

"And how she could assist us?"

"Yes, sir."

There was a pause, wherein the President exhaled deeply and rubbed his temples, while I shifted my weight from foot to foot.

"Very well, Tseng. You are dismissed; please await your next orders from Verdot."

"Sir."

I had prepared myself for anything he could throw at me, except for simple acceptance. I felt stunned that this man - the most powerful man in the world - was happy to disregard the failure of capturing what could be the most important subject Shinra could have gained and was now waving me away without a second thought. Which could mean only one of a few things: that he wasn't favouring the science department right now; that this girl wasn't as important as had been made out to be; or that other, pressing matters had seduced his attention. Or an amalgamate of all three.

I left the office, ignoring the slow ache of my bruised hip, mind buzzing with ideas.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: It's only the second chapter, but I've really gotten into writing this and can't wait to continue with the rest. :D This is an edited chapter (much like the previous one) as I figured out that my computer hates me writing and likes to delete sentences here and there, so I had to read the entire thing carefully and rewrite what had been lost. In addition, I write solely in Wordpad and then spellcheck on OpenOffice - that might be the problem, but I'm getting sick of using OO. If anyone sees any sentences that make absolutely no sense at all, PLEASE TELL ME SO (although I'm constantly rereading for mistakes, so hopefully I'll pick them up before you do). Thanks for reading.

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CHAPTER TWO

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Months had passed since my first encounter with the girl that no doubt still resented me for trying to bring her back to Shinra. No information had been passed along regarding her surveillance in that time; I made my own assumptions that she was being left alone by the company, who were probably allowing her powers to develop before she was of any real use to them. The mayor of Midgar had been kind enough to allow me access to his own personal library after I'd decided to refresh my memory of the Ancients; he'd lent me a book filled with details on the race and given me the privilege of borrowing any book I wanted from the official library.

Several members of my department had taken to calling me obsessed. I might have agreed with them had I met the child more than once; had that one meeting happened a few weeks ago rather than months. That wasn't it. I was genuinely interested in the events that had transpired all those years ago and was trying to gather as much material as I could to fully understand. There was no point asking anyone in the science department - they were all too scared of what Hojo might do to them should they disclose any information on that topic, and asking Hojo himself would have been akin to a long and painful demise. His colleague knew only a little of the premise of the experiments, but I thought him unlikely to attempt to explain. Truth be told, I didn't like the man much, even though I'd only spoken to Professor Hollander in passing once or twice.

It was early evening, and I was in the office for the eighth day in a row. It was autumn, the time of year when Shinra opened its doors to hopeful youths looking to become part of the elite. So many boys barely out of childhood from all over the world were going through basic training to see whether or not they would be accepted for a rookie's position in SOLDIER, or even the infantry. Most would probably be turned away - I heard once that only seven per cent of those applying were accepted, although I wasn't sure if that was entirely correct or not. Either way, I didn't feel particularly envious of any of the hopefuls, feeling glad that I was in my position high above the city. My own training and initiation into the Turks had been pretty rough, though it was to be expected of those in charge of protecting the bigwigs of Shinra. A shadow fell over my desk, breaking me from my reverie.

"You seem distracted, Tseng."

I looked up, saw a man watching me with a slight smile on his face. It was a bizarre sight; our Head of department was amiable at the best of times, but more often than not he came across as strict and a workaholic; a man of extreme loyalty but little good cheer, and a penchant for seeing all missions completed completely, and if at all possible, beyond the given requirements. I rather liked his leadership.

"I trust you're not thinking about that girl again?"

My cheeks wanted to start burning with embarrassment and rage, but I kept it in. "No, sir. I was wondering whether we would be recruiting this year."

A thoughtful expression fell across his face and twisted his mouth. The dark, ragged scar on his cheek distorted and became uglier. "That depends. If there are any outstanding candidates that SOLDIER don't want, we might snap them up." He glanced around the office. "It might be nice to get a couple of new faces, but if there aren't any kids up to this job, I'll postpone recruiting for another year and talk with the President. In this line of work, it's always good to have a little extra manpower."

"Or womanpower," my female colleague called from across the room, leaning back in her chair and tugging her long blonde hair out of its ponytail. "Tseng, if you're done with that report, I'd like to go over it briefly."

I stood, resisted the urge to stretch, and brought her the papers I'd been neglecting. Blowing the bangs out of her eyes, she accepted them and threw them on the desk without looking at them.

"Don't mess up the order of the pages," I told her. "I want to refile them as they are once you're done with them." "Sir."

I would probably have stayed standing in that position for the rest of the day had Verdot not broken my concentration. He cleared his throat and began walking back to his desk. "If you're not doing anything, Tseng, I'd like you to patrol Sector Eight. There have been reports of gangs that have taken to threatening the locals; if you see any of them, act immediately."

"Yes, sir. How long will I be on patrol for?"

"A couple of hours at most. I'll call you once Myra finishes her report and files it," he replied, nodding at the blonde woman that was reading over the documents I'd given her. I glanced over at her before switching my gaze back to the boss, who had turned away from me and was now concentrating on something else; my cue to leave and get on with the job.

The idea of walking around actively looking for thugs wasn't appealing on most days, but even less that evening. It wasn't often that I felt like slacking, and no doubt I'd regret it later, but at the time, wandering around the main square of Sector Eight aimlessly seemed like a good idea. Besides, it wasn't like I was the only one on the job - it was standard procedure that all the new recruits and candidates would patrol this area, and there were always a couple of members of the infantry hanging around. Resisting the urge to crane my head back and stare at what stars would be visible through the smog, I wandered slowly to the fountain and leant against its low wall. There were few people around at this time, and the majority of them looked like they were getting ready to leave fairly soon.

Exhaling deeply, I let my eyes slip shut. I felt... drained. I had no reason to be; not much had happened in the way of work or personal affairs recently, and I was healthy enough. If this lackadaisical attitude was going to continue for much longer, then the jobs which actually required energy and brains were going to be tough. I half-hoped there would be an influx of new Turks, and soon.

"Excuse me, sir, if you're not doing anything I'm going to have to ask you to move along," came a weary-sounding voice. I opened my eyes to the view of a Shinra guard. "There's been a rise in criminal activity lately, and Shinra doesn't want any civilians to be hurt, so-"

"I'm working," I replied. So I might have looked like I was just sitting around, but I was technically still on the clock. "The head of Administrative Research sent me here."

"I.D.?" the man sighed, holding out his hand for my employee card. I pressed it into his grasp and he looked it over quickly. "Fine, fine. Looks good to me. Don't spend too long waiting about here, you hear? Someone else even more tired than me might bring you in..."

"I'll keep that in mind," I said, straightening a little and taking my card back. "Have there been any reports tonight?"

"Nothing's come through, sir. If it's not too much of a hassle, could you check down Loveless Avenue?" he asked. "I'm going to check the station, and I don't know who else is wandering around right now."

I nodded once, to which the guard managed half a salute, covering his mouth as he yawned halfway through, and began to amble in the direction of the train station. I glanced at the clock above the arch that lead to the next area of the Sector and walked slowly towards it. Quarter to seven. The time when most personnel were at home, dreading the next day of work - the really unlucky ones would have to wait another agonizing fifteen minutes before they were able to leave. Only the important faculty and staff worked later than half five, and even then only until about seven or eight - I envied them. Most of the time there seemed to be nothing to do except read endless documents in the office, and yet we had to remain working until ten at night. Above me, the clock ticked loudly as I passed under the archway, footsteps echoing.

There were more people down the Avenue than I thought there would have been. A couple of stores were still open, the majority of the population leaving them with bags in their hands and under their eyes. Trying not to breathe in too much of the muggy air, I passed the pharmacy and nearly knocked someone over.

"Yo, watch where you're going."

"I'm... sorry. I wasn't paying attention."

The offended in question was a young man, probably only a little older than sixteen, and he was glaring at me with ferocious blue eyes. "You could have knocked me over!"

This could go one of two ways. I could give him some money and grovel until he left me alone, or I could try intimidating him into leaving me alone. Not feeling bothered by his attitude, I chose the latter. "And I've already apologised." His eyes narrowed further. "I'm not going to say it a second time."

He was quiet for a moment, and I took my chance to look him over briefly. He was shorter than me by about five inches, and sporting the most unruly head of dark red hair that I'd ever seen. If he'd decided to start a fight there and then, I'm not sure I would have won easily - despite being armed and confident in my fighting abilities, he had tattoos resting on both cheekbones, resting directly under the eyes; a sign of his toughness and pain threshold. But more importantly-

"You don't happen to work for a guy named Verdot, do you?" he asked me, sharp eyes having gone over my clothing and taken in my stubbornness. I nodded, once. "Oh, man - I'm sorry. Thought you were just another regular employee or jerkwad or summat. I'm - I'm a Turk, too. Name's Reno."

He shuffled nervously from foot to foot as I continued to stare at him. "I've got I.D. if you don't believe me.."

"I believe you. I haven't seen you before... or if I have, then it's only been in passing." Surely I wouldn't have forgotten this kid; at least, not easily.

"Ah, yeah. About that. I haven't been in Midgar for a couple years, been working out in Junon. I only got back earlier today and I just _can't_ be bothered to go do paperwork yet." His eyes roamed over my face, eyebrows bunching up in concentration. He stared, almost definitely at my tilak. "Are you... Tseng?"

"You've heard of me?"

"Sure. Verdot says you're good at what you do." He wrenched his eyes back to my own and shot a cocky grin at me. "Care to demonstrate?"

I chuckled, failed to bite my smirk back. It spread over my face and the youth opposite me laughed casually. "Unless a gang walks under my nose right now, I'll be saving it for another day," I informed him, feeling more at ease with his presence. "I'm still on the clock."

He exhaled in surprise. "Still? Hasn't everyone else gone home?" he brought a hand up and scratched his cheek absently. "Well, shit. Maybe I should fly back out to Junon again."

Something vibrated in my pocket. "Maybe you should," I agreed, patting myself down briefly. I pulled out my phone and opened it. "Tseng speaking."

"This is Verdot. We've just had a call from one of the emergency phones in the slums; apparently a couple of gang factions have started fighting it out." "You want me to go down and take care of it." "Will you be alright on your own?" My eyes flicked to Reno, who was watching the conversation with mild interest. "I should be fine. I have someone with me."

"Very well. Head to Sector Five, the conflict has broken out near the church. And it seems as though a child may be involved, as well. I'm counting on you to take care of the situation."

"Understood, sir."

I hung up and pocketed the phone again, staring at the redhead, who began to fidget. "We're going under the plate," I informed him. "We need to break up a gang fight. You're coming with me." "_I'm_ the backup?" I didn't answer, having already turned away and beginning to walk in the direction of the station. Trains still ran until early in the morning, so there wouldn't be any problem getting to the slums. The only real thing to worry about was the child that was caught up in the fighting - hopefully they'd find cover until we got there. Reno's footsteps caught up with mine quickly, his arrogance suddenly replaced with seriousness. Somehow, I felt more awake than I had done for a while.

* * *

It took thirty minutes - far too long - to get to our destination. Under normal circumstances, this would have been an exceptionally quick journey, but I wanted to get to the scene as soon as possible and put an end to the combat. Some part of me wanted to absolutely make sure that the child involved wasn't harmed, and I had to sigh gently to myself. Feelings like regret, compassion and worry weren't needed in my line of work, but they still managed to work their way up inside me from time to time. We arrived at the Sector Five station without fuss and immediately made our way to the outer edge of the slums where I knew the church was situated, even though I'd only seen it on a map before.

As we drew closer, we heard raised voices and the tell-tale sounds of violence: metal against metal and the click of a gun's hammer being cocked. We ducked behind a large sheet of fallen debris and crept slowly towards the targets. In the background, the church loomed ominously.

"D'you think any others will be coming?" one rough voice asked.

"Probably. After all, you let someone get away earlier. It's best to sit and wait it out, best to make sure we're gonna be safe." "Right. How many are we expecting?" A pause. "No more than ten? I'm not sure. If our weapons aren't enough, I'll turn the gun on the kid. She might not belong to them, but no-one's willing to risk a cute little girly's life, even down here."

Reno attempted to peek around the corner of the hunk of metal we were hiding behind, and succeeded in making out one or two figures of a much larger group.

"Not from any gang I remember. Both tall. Beefy. One's got a crowbar. Couple of bodies on the ground, too."

So now we knew the vague outline of the situation, but weren't in much of a position to carry any kind of rescue mission. And this child was still directly involved in the conflict, probably through no real fault of their own.

"You got a plan?" the redhead whispered. I shook my head, frowning. "We could charge in, all gung-ho like, kick some serious ass and get back to the upper city. Quick and easy." I frowned harder.

"Got anything in mind that isn't liable to get us and the kid killed?" He looked like he was thinking hard for all of five seconds. "We could charge in and announce ourselves as Shinra, arrest them and kick some serious ass in the process," he suggested. I resisted the urge to smack his head.

"You're an idiot," I hissed at him, moving across to the edge of the metal carefully. I leant my head around, making sure not to expose too much of my face, trying to see some of the people we were going to be up against. Reno had been right; the men that I could see were tall and fairly bulked out, each carrying some kind of weapon. The one I assumed to be the leader was sitting down, flanked either side with equally muscular men. Sitting on the floor only a couple of feet away from him, face downcast and clothes covered in dust, was a girl. I moved back to my original position. "But I guess we don't have any other choice."

"We're gonna just jump in?" he whispered excitedly.

"No. You're going to slowly," I emphasised the last word, "Get up with your hands open, showing them you have no weapon - but keep it on you. Tell them your name and that Shinra sent you."

"And if they start shooting or whatever, take 'em out. Gotcha. What are you gonna be doing?"

"I'm going to take care of the girl. I'm going to get her somewhere safe, maybe the church, then back you up. Is that okay?"

He didn't respond, instead fumbled with something in his jacket and clicked his knuckles. I shuffled to the side, allowing him more room to stand up and a better viewpoint for myself. He got to his knees and raised himself off the ground, palms open and above his shoulders. Instantly, every person's attention was on him.

"Yo," he started.

"Who the hell are you? You don't look familiar."

"I'm Reno," he continued casually, despite the advancing men. "I'm from up top-"

"Come to save the day, have you?" one of them sneered. "Come to save the little princess and play hero? Get lost, kid, this ain't no place for you."

"-sent by Shinra."

The girl looked up, and my stomach sank. It was Aerith, looking much more alive than she had at our first meeting, but there was no doubt she'd rather be anywhere but here right now. Somehow I felt that this entire operation was going to be a lot more difficult to carry out, succeed and then explain than it could have been, and squeezed my eyes shut briefly, willing my fellow Turk not to do anything... stupid.

"He said Shinra, boss." "I heard him." the leader of the gang eyed Reno, taking in his scrawny appearance. "I call bullshit. I don't believe him."

"Yes, boss."

The redhead lowered his arms as the thugs came ever closer and let out a quiet, exasperated noise. One hand reached inside his jacket and he removed what looked like a small metal stick. One of the men grunted and smacked their own weapon against their palm; the redhead retaliated by flicking his wrist sharply, and the stick extended into a long metal rod. All he needed was a second to start the fighting and by hesitating, the gang members gave it to him on a silver platter. Reno sprang into action, all wrists and elbows and weapon, swinging blindly left and right, forcing the men backwards, causing the others to stand and reach for their crowbars and pipes.

While he was distracting the gang, I crawled out from our hiding place and pushed myself up into a running position, aiming for the distraught child, still sitting in the middle of the floor. As I got closer I realised her face was streaked with tears and that she was shaking. I slowed and tripped in the process, managing to slide gracefully in front of her, glad that no-one had noticed me yet. I grabbed her shoulder and shook her once, gently.

"Aerith. Let's get you to the church."

She looked up at my face, recognition flickering in her eyes. My hand slipped to her wrist and I stood, pulling her with me and silencing any protest she might have had. I cast a glance over my shoulder and saw three men coming my way; my free hand slipped into my own jacket and grasped the handle of my pistol. I pulled it out, clicked the hammer into place and aimed it at the one closest to me in one fluid motion, starting a slow walk backwards in the direction of the holy building. The child wasn't resisting, thankfully.

The men halted their advance as I pulled the weapon on them, and I took the opportunity to turn and run to the church, pulling Aerith with me. We reached the heavy doors and I let go of her briefly to tug at the handle. Locked. I aimed the barrel of the gun at the lock; one shot and the door was open. We ran inside and stopped some way up the aisle. The child drew into herself as I knelt and faced her.

"Are you okay?"

She remined silent, not looking at me. I had to resist the urge to shake her again, and I glanced at the door, half-expecting the men to barge their way in.

"...I'm going to go outside and make the... the bad people go away," I said gently. "Once I've done that, I'm going to make sure my friend is okay. Afterwards I'm going to come back here and make sure you're okay. I'm not after you, Aerith, so if you'd like I can bring you home. It's dangerous outside. Can you wait here for a while?"

I wasn't sure if she was going to answer me or not: she was so small and frail-looking. I remained kneeling, watching her for any response. She hesitated for a moment before raising her eyes and nodding once, quickly. Her eyes were filled with tears again; she probably wouldn't have been able to speak.

"Good girl. I'm going now -stay inside until I come and tell you it's safe."

I stood and dashed to the entrance, hoping that Reno was alright. If he was hurt... it would be entirely my fault for leaving him on his own, and Verdot would kill me. From outside, a single gunshot rang out, and I froze. Reno didn't have a gun on him.

I slipped out of the door and surveyed the scene in front of me. Three bodies had joined the ones already on the floor, but there was a much larger group still standing a few metres away, grouped around one area, most of them looking down. One person was saying something and waving his weapon in the air as if he was going to use it - a small handgun. I recognised him as the leader, raised my own arm and took aim at his hand. Another shot sounded and echoed around the area.

"Son-of-a-BITCH!"

The leader of the gang dropped his weapon instantly and clutched his hand - now bleeding profusely - to his chest. The other men turned and faced me. I kept my arm and gaze steady, looking down at them coolly from the top of the steps.

"I'm from Shinra," I announced. "I have orders to take you - _all_ of you - in. Each and every one of you." I paused and glanced at the leader, who posed no problem now. "Depending on how much you've injured my partner, you'll be going in with some new holes in you."

As one, the gang dropped their weapons and raised their hands above their heads. The man I had already shot squatted to the floor, groaning loudly. I ignored his pained noises and pulled out my phone.

"This is the Turks. We have resolved an incident in the Sector Five slums, by the church. Send some men immediately, there are some people I want apprehended."

* * *

I waited until after the infantry had left before checking on Reno, who had been hidden from view the entire time. He was lying behind the hunk of debris that we had originally sheltered behind, and looked in bad shape. As I approached him, he was half-leaning against the metal, holding onto his forearm with a tight grip and had turned white.

"You okay?" He grunted once and made no effort to reply properly or move. I crouched next to him and looked him over once, briefly. As far as I could tell, he'd been shot in the arm and had sustained a multitude of small scrapes and bruises along his face. There was probably worse damage uder his jacket, something that I was more sure of as I lifted him onto my back and heard his pained whine.

Inside the church, all other noises seemed to die away more or less straight away, and my footsteps and Reno's haggard breathing seemed especially loud. I let him down on a dusty wooden pew and took off my blazer.

"Hold our your arm," I told him. "I'm going to wrap my jacket around the shot. It should slow the bleeding."

He did as asked, remaining silent as I tightened the knot I'd made with the sleeves. I took another look at his face; the light was a little better in here and I could see the cuts more clearly. He lifted his head to look at me, blinking as sweat dripped into his eyes and shot me an almost miserable look.

"Sorry I couldn't get them all... sir."

"Don't be ridiculous," I said in return, choosing to sit next to him on the bench. "There was one skinny kid against a whole gang of muscular, well-armed thugs. You didn't have a hope in hell of getting them all by yourself."

"But I should have been able to. I'm a Turk."

I found I didn't have anything to say to that and kept my mouth shut. The statement lingered in the air above us for a while as his breathing evened out. He was the first to break the silence.

"Is that kid safe?" "She should be..." I resisted the urge to crane my head and seek her out with my eyes. She was probably hiding from us, anyway. "I told her not to leave until we'd cleared the area."

"Do you know her?" the question took me by surprise, and I wondered if he knew anything about the Ancients. "...indirectly. She hates the Shinra."

"Does she now..." he leant his head back further and shut his eyes, fingers twitching slightly. His voice was beginning to sound a little strained.

"Can you walk?" I asked him. "If not, I'll carry you to the Shinra building." "Aw, man, don't worry about it. They didn't go for my legs. Besides, it'd be pretty pathetic to go report to the boss on your back."

We remained seated, and listened to the faint ambience of the slums that drifted in through the broken doors. I wondered briefly if anyone would bother to replace the lock that I'd shot off. There was a scuffing noise behind us; my eyes stayed fixed on the woodwork while Reno jumped and twisted in his seat, hissing as he moved his injured arm.

"And who do we have here?" he asked the area. "Our little princess from the danger zone? You can come out if you want. I won't bite."

I snorted. Reno's tattoed face told a completely different story. Soft footsteps approached from behind, and I turned my head to look at the girl as she reached the pew we were sitting on. She stared at the redhead's face. He stared back at her.

"You're a real cutie," he commented after this had gone on for a while. "They didn't hurt you, did they?" She shook her head, one hand slowly creping up to play with a few strands of hair. "...Are you in pain?" "What?" The girl flushed, unsure whether she should have spoken or not. Her eyes flickered downwards. "Your face is cut... Does it hurt?"

Reno smiled and pushed himself up off the bench. I leant forward and rested my elbows on my knees.

"It doesn't hurt," he replied. "I'm absolutely fine! So fine, in fact, that I'm gonna go up top and pay a visit to my boss. What are you going to do?"

She quieted again and trained her gaze on her shoes. "I... want to go home," she whispered. "...please."

"Would you like me to take you there?" I asked her, and she nodded, biting her lip. "Alright. I can do that. Reno, will you be alright getting back by yourself?" "Yeah," he replied. "I'll be fine. It's just Verdot I gotta worry about, but I think I can handle him. I'll report, so don't worry about seeing him after you get back-"

"Don't worry about it. I need to speak to him anyway." I paused for a moment. "Can I ask you a favour?" Surprise registered on his face. "You saved my life, man. Ask away."

"Don't tell Verdot about the kid. I get the feeling he'll launch some kind of investigation..." More like drag her kicking and screaming back to Shinra. "I think she could do without that."

He grinned. "No problem. My lips are sealed." He turned to the girl once more. "Goodbye, cutie. Take care of yourself, okay?" She smiled faintly. "...Goodbye, mister."

* * *

Walking through the slums at this time of night wasn't as cold as I had anticipated it to be without my jacket. Figuring it must have been the poorly circulated air, I made my way through the streets quickly, leading Aerith. It was dark, even with the artificial lighting shining down upon us every few metres. The entire journey was spent with the girl holding my hand tightly, as though she was afraid to be apart from someone she knew that wasn't going to hurt her - which she probably was. The slums were a dangerous place for any kid.

We entered Sector Six not long after leaving the church, and we made our way to Mrs. Gainsborough's house quickly. I stopped a short way from the entrance, unable to make out of the flowers from this distance.

"Be careful," I said to her. "It's dangerous down here, and I won't always be around to come and help you. If you want to stay away from Shinra, you need to stay out of trouble."

She nodded and let go of my hand, leaving my palm feeling strangely empty. She stepped forward before turning and looking up at me - hearing her speak was almost awkward. Having walked here completely in silence, I had begun to think that she would only ever talk to me if someone else was present.

"Thank you for helping me and taking me back home," she said, avoiding looking at me. "And thank you for not bringing me up to your boss."

"I told you I wasn't after you. Just make sure you're more careful from now on."

I started to turn away, but her voice interrupted. "Why are you being so nice to me? I thought you wanted to take me away."

I didn't know how to answer. _Because you're an Ancient_ would probably scare her away again, and _Because I was an asshole when we met last and I kind of want to make it up to you_ sounded stupid. But she was waiting for a reply, and I had to wrack my brains for something suitable.

"...I would do the same for anyone else," I lied. "I just happened to save you, and we just happened to have met before."

She watched my face for a moment before nodding and smiling at me. It was a bright smile, even in the darkness.

"Thank you, Mr. Tseng!"

* * *

I reported later that evening that Reno and myself had gone to the slums after the report and encountered fifteen or sixteen burly men gathered in the slums, discussing how they should take down a rival faction. I mentioned that we had been separated briefly in the struggle and the redhead's injuries had occurred in that period of time; the leader's gun had gone off twice and hit both my partner's arm and the church door.

"And there was no child involved?" "No child, sir. If there was one when the civilian first made the call, they were gone by the time we arrived at the scene."

Verdot shuffled some papers, not bothering to glance up and attempt to tell if I was telling the truth or not. He probably knew already. "Very well. Dismissed."


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: My sincerest apologies for the amount of time it's taken to get this typed up and onto . I put c'la on hold while I had mock-exams at my college, and then I procrastinated writing for almost a month, felt extremely bad about it and then started this chapter. :D Guilt and self-deprication are the best motivators..!

ANYWAY c'la has a review now and (at time of writing) two people favouriting/watching it for updates, you have no idea how incredibly happy this has made me. -sheds countless tears- I HOPE I CAN CONTINUE TO PLEASE YOU LOVELY PEOPLE. HAVE ANOTHER CHAPTER.

(Oh, yeah, and I hope no-one gets too confused over the names I've given all the BC Turks. I'll try and refer to their weapons as much as possible so you know who they all are. :D :D)

* * *

CHAPTER THREE

* * *

I was almost amazed at the speed that the rest of the year had passed by with. November and December seemed to pass in the blink of an eye, and the following months slipped by in a similar manner. Reports of rebel factions and gang fights made their way to the Turks' offices every couple of weeks and kept its members busy. Often, Verdot was the only member that stayed behind, sifting through the various files from intel or memorandums from other departments or the higher-ups, relaying missions to us via mobile phones. Despite the increasingly violent outbreaks of fighting both above and below the plate, we subordinates were sent alone to tackle the problems. After the disastrous mission that Reno and I had taken on, all of us had attended a training session in combat and were told never to rely on each other for help unless working specifically as a group.

Accompanying myself and the two other exuberant colleagues that took part in these sessions was another man that had joined us towards the end of the previous year and promptly been sent on an escort mission that lasted nearly a month. This was the first time we had properly seen him; his name was Nile and he was quiet but not withdrawn, and wielded a katana with deadly precision. Once in the offices, he was a little more carefree and allowed us to know that he came from Gongaga, a run-down village on the next continent, and that he was only here because of Shinra. Despite constant verbal harrassment from Myra, he refused to divulge this secret, and settled in extremely quickly.

Spring passed in a blur of grey clouds and paperwork. Uneventful though it was, Reno made an extremely large show of proclaiming his birthday to the office and parading around foolishly. It was amusing, to say the least, watching him waltz into the boss' desk and knock the carefully stacked papers to the floor. Verdot was less than impressed, and assigned him to several weeks working with the infantrymen as well as his normal duties - which seemed to mysteriously increase, leaving the rest of us with slightly less work - leaving him with a great deal less free time than he'd had previously.

Summer also came and went, but in much less of a flurry of excitement than its predecessor. To our utmost displeasure, criminal activity increased almost threefold during this period of time, and called out grumpy Turks agitated by the extreme heat to quell the violence. The only one capable of functioning almost normally once the temperature passed thirty-four degrees was Myra, who hailed from the far south, and even she left her blazer off and the first few buttons of her shirt undone permanently. It didn't help that the air-conditioning system temporarily broke down for a week in July; the hours spent in that office were almost hellish. It was never said out loud by any of us, but we all took to cursing the President and his idea of designing a building with thick slabs of glass where there should have been walls that faced the sun. I'm positive that I wasn't the only one thanking whatever gods there were once the good weather faded and the rain began to drizzle onto Midgar.

Throughout the changes in seasons and the slow but steady buildup of work - both written and physical - I found my thoughts drifting back to the Ancient girl. It wasn't entirely unexpected, but it happened with unnerving regularity and I hoped that the slum-dwellers hadn't suffered the intense heat of summer as those above the plate had done. Since the incident at the church all those months ago, I had only entered the slums once, and that had been to Sector Four to interrupt a drugs trade. I'd returned to the office directly after the job was over, but I had been filled with a strong urge to visit the girl and her newfound mother for the rest of the week. I wanted to make sure that she wasn't getting into trouble and was leading as much of a normal life as she possibly could. I also wanted to know whether the flowers smelt as sweet as I remembered them.

There had been no further discussions with Verdot, the President or otherwise regarding Aerith's life, or the observation thereof. I assumed that she had been forgotten about, and hoped for her sake that she had indeed slipped their minds, though it was doubtful. Living in the slums was hard enough as it was and it didn't feel right that anyone should have to supervise her constantly to check if her powers - if she even had any - had surfaced. Mrs. Gainsborough would likely take a firm stance against the Shinra if they sent someone to spy on their personal lives, and I privately agreed with her. I tried my hardest to put them both out of my mind and concentrate on work.

...Her smile slipped into my thoughts a lot more often than it should have done.

* * *

We entered autumn with no events taking place or being planned. On this particular evening, the wind blew hard against the unfinished building we worked in, and dark clouds were gathered in the skies outside, looking ominous and threatening heavy rainfall later that night. I was sat at my desk, trying to finish a report detailing how we had contained the monsters that had recently broken into the slums from the area surrounding Midgar, and feeling my mind drift with every passing second. There was no-one else in the office with me: Myra had been called away by Director Scarlet to supervise the handling and transferral of new weaponry; Reno was patrolling the upper plate; and Nile was at home, recovering from an illness that had left him bedridden for three days. The boss' position was unknown, but that didn't bother me - he had every right to be absent from office if he so desired.

My pen filled in another line on the page before I threw it down with a heavy sigh, feeling exhausted as I leant back and surveyed the ceiling. The lightning in the room was poor and I was sure I'd strain my eyes if I worked any further, every fibre of my body resisting getting up to turn on some more lights. Absently, I pressed my fingers into my cheek and chewed at the soft flesh of my inner cheek. It was a bad habit and I remembered being scolded several times for it when I had been young and still living at home, but I had carried it with me to adulthood nonetheless.

Beside the papers I'd given up on, my phone began to vibrate. I kept it silent while it was turned on, but against the wooden desk it made an incredible racket, pulling me back to reality with a jolt. I reached out to the desk and picked it up, flipping it open with one snap of my wrist.

"Tseng speaking."

"This is Verdot. Where are you currently?"

"At Shinra, sir. Forty-fourth floor."

"Please make your way to my office on the forty-second floor as soon as you've finished your business."

"Understood, sir."

I snapped the phone shut again and remained seated, staring vacantly into nothingness. I felt extremely lethargic and decided to blame the weather; after all, the only missions I'd taken part in recently hadn't required much effort, so I couldn't blame overexertion. The lamp at my desk flickered once, drawing my attention, and I figured it would be best to report to the boss. Pushing myself up, I gathered up my report and shuffled them into order, quickly scrawling a note warning any curious colleagues not to file them as they were still unfinished. I slipped my phone into my pocket and took one last sweeping look at the desk before walking to the lift and descending two floors.

This level was only a little less dim than the one I'd just left. The overhead neon strips lit the room only barely, throwing shadows behind every desk. This floor was divided into a couple of sections: there were a few tables outfitted with high-tech computers in this area for research, hacking and any missions that required electronic backup. To my far left there was a section filled with weaponry in case we ever needed to arm ourselves heavily. There were all kinds of items in there - various types of firearms ranging from tiny pistols to semi-automatic shotguns; several pairs of heavily studed leather gloves for martial artists and other melee weapons; some swords with varying lengths and blades, and a large box on the floor contained the ranged projectiles.

Several paces away from the lift, there was a closed door that led into another office. I knew from experience that it had only a single desk - this was Verdot's official office that the bigwigs visited when their requests were either extremely important or underhanded, and I knew he used for other administrative purposes as well. Wondering what I'd been called here for - especially so late - I made my way to the door and rapped my knuckles on it.

"Enter."

I pushed the handle down and walked into the office, blinking at the sudden increase of light. The boss had the lamps and overhead bulbs on full, casting strong light everywhere and making me realise that writing in the dark for so long had given me the beginnings of a headache.

"You wanted to see me, sir?"

The boss lifted his head, that had been resting in his hands previously, and waved at the chairs in front of the desk. He looked... tired.

"Please, sit down."

I sat, and continued to regard my mentor. The light showed his face clearly, and I noticed the lines around his eyes seemed deeper than ever before. I wondered how old he was, briefly.

"My apologies if I have pulled you from work, Tseng."

"Not at all, sir."

"Then let's get to the point. You've been with the Turks for six years now, correct?"

"Yes, sir."

He leant back in his chair, scratching at his chin. "During your time with Shinra, I have noticed and admired your work ethic. You have never requested extra time off or taken sick leave. You continue to fulfil your duties as a Turk to the last detail and often exceed expectations, and you have taken charge of several operations successfully. Mainly low-scale operations, yes, but you perform your role as leader to an outstanding standard."

I shifted almost uncomfortably.

"It is for these reasons that I feel you should be promoted. After discussing matters with the President, I understand that he agrees with me, and gave me full permission to elevate both your position and salary. Starting tomorrow, you will be assisting me with the running and leadership of the Administrative Research deparment as the second-in-command of the Turks."

"Second-in... sir, you can't be serious?"

"You should know by now that I don't joke about, Tseng. You already have a mission under these new privileges; I hope I can depend on you."

"Of course, sir," I replied, feeling businesslike once more as the conversation shifted to a topic I was more comfortable with. "I hope I can perform to the best of my abilities."

Verdot stood and strode to the bookshelf that dominating one wall of the office, selecting a file and flicked through it briefly. He turned around and passed me the folder; I opened it and stared at the heading. "You want me to assist you with the recruits tomorrow?" I asked dumbly. The boss cleared his throat.

"I want you to choose the recruits by yourself. I have other matters I must attend to, and I know I can trust your choices. The candidates outlined in that document have been narrowed down from a much wider selection to a small handful. Each have qualities that make them stand out - I trust your judgment."

"I... understand, sir."

I stood slowly, file now closed and firmly grasped in my hands, and exited the room. Verdot had turned his back to me and didn't watch me leave; I wondered if he was alright. He had been out of the office more than usual lately and I couldn't remember seeing him this haggard before. Deciding against returning to my desk and finishing my report - and knowing I would regret that decision in the morning - I entered the lift and punched the button that would take me to the ground floor. The night stretched out before me and I had a strong feeling I would be relying heavily on caffeine to finish reading the files.

* * *

I was first in the office the next day, which was rare. Usually the boss or Myra - and more recently, Nile - were working by the time I got in, but I had needed to sort a couple of things out before the Turk candidates arrived. I finished the report I'd given up on the previous night and deposited it on Verdot's desk before calling the receptionist on the ground floor and giving her orders to send the group to the thirty-fifth floor once they arrived. That floor was used for training simulations for all employees that required it - bar SOLDIER, who had their own floor with their own simulation chamber - and was the perfect place to observe their combat skills. Since there would be nobody else using that floor today and I'd finished my errands, I decided to pour over their files once more.

There were ten candidates that had been selected to demonstrate today; five women and five men. Each specialized in different weaponry and tactics, and none of them knew each other, so it was safe to say that they would all be trying their hardest to win against one another. I finished skimming a paragraph detailing a blonde man's achievements and turned the page as the door opened.

"Oh? Tseng, this is unlike you," Myra called, distracting me. I looked up and nodded at her. "I heard about your promotion," she continued, smiling. "Congratulations. It'll be fun serving under you."

"Please, my standing and status haven't changed one bit. I only have more work and responsibility to deal with now-"

"And loads more power!" she crowed, placing her bag on her desk and sitting down heavily on her chair. "I'm kinda jealous, though - I've been here longer than you have, after all, and I've never been given a promotion as good as that..."

She looked wistful, and I chuckled quietly. "Maybe you should talk it over with Verdot," I suggested, and she burst into raucous laughter.

"You know as well as I do that I'd be a terrible leader," she said, and clicked her fingers. "So how come you're here so early? I thought that I was the only one that got in before eight 'cause I live in the Shinra building."

I waved the file I'd been reading at her before turning back to its contents. "I'm supervising the recruits today," I said, trying to find where I'd stopped reading, and heard her rise and walk to my desk. "Waiting for them to arrive so I can put them through hell for the day."

Her blonde hair fell over my shoulder as she peered at the papers, skimming through the page I was on.

"Jesus," she muttered. "Tseng, this girl's only twelve. What's Verdot thinking, he can't snap up kids... She can't be qualified enough to work with us..."

She straightened and threw her hair back over her own shoulder, striding back to her desk and turning her computer on. I picked a strand of blonde hair from my blazer and let it fall to the floor, turning another page in silence. I heard her typing almost furiously at her keyboard and wondered with a small grin if she was sending an angry message to the boss. I wouldn't have been surprised if she was.

My mobile started vibrating in my pocket and I took it out, not bothering to look at the number calling me.

"This is the reception," a bored-sounding secretary said before I could answer. "Your group has arrived, I'm sending them up now. Thought you might like to know."

"Thank you," I responded, and the dial tone sounded in my ear as she hung up. I stood and picked up the file, replacing my phone, and walked briskly to the lift. "Try not to get yourself killed by the boss while I'm gone," I said as I passed my colleague, who smiled and kept typing. The lift brought me down nine floors and I exited into yet another large floor, which was completely devoid of people and furnishings.

Like the offices I had been in the previous night, there was a storage room in the back that was filled to the brin with weapons, although this one also contained armour and a small amount of materia. I walked directly to the storage room and opened it, placing the files I had been carrying onto a shelf that hadn't been completely taken over by fighting implements. I left the room and stood in the middle of the empty floor, looking around and noticing that there were targets and mannequins hidden in a corner, waiting to be destroyed. The sound of the second lift door opening brought me back to my senses and I straightened, feeling my face relax into an unreadable expression. The people within the lift walked out of it nervously, looking about them in what I guessed to be wonder, and remained clustered in that area.

"If you could all come over here and line up."

They all did so, looking infinitely more nervous as they came closer to me. They were all dressed in loose clothing, obviously having been informed that their physical strength and endurance would be tested today. I swept my gaze over the line they had made, taking in their faces.

"You're all here to prove that you have what it takes to be part of Shinra's elite force known as the Turks. I won't elaborate, but I have high expectations from all of you, since you've managed to get this far. Your actions and performance today will determine whether you join or not. I expect no less than your absolute best today. Do you understand?"

Every person in the room straightened their backs and discarded any casual demeanor they had been carrying around with them.

"Yes, sir!"

"My name is Tseng. If you are accepted today, you will be working under myself in the office, as the head of department often goes away on missions. I will be testing you all equally, regardless of gender or..." my eyes lingered on the smallest individual there, who looked paler than all the others combined. "...age. In the room behind me are various weapons. Please arm yourself with whatever you specialize in and return to this line. Your first task will be to show how you react and retaliate to different forms of attack from an enemy force."

We spent the entire day in the training hall. Each candidate had proven their worth through a variety of tasks, which had included a sparring session against each other, myself and some security robots the Weapons Department had lent us; a test of endurance which required them to run along the perimeter of the room until they couldn't continue to do so; and answering questions on the company's history and what they thought they would be expected to do once a Turk while doing either squats, pull-ups or push-ups. One of the group quit very early on, announcing that the exercises were pointless and too difficult to continue doing, and left angrily. Another was injured during the initial sparring exercises due to a flashy move on their part that left them wide open to attack, and I made yet another leave after they caused a thunder materia to become out of control.

At the end of the session, there were seven people remaining, trying to regain their breath and composure. By the time they had done so, I had made the decision not to prolong the day any further - they had shown me everything they were capable of. Which of them to accept was now solely up to me.

They were lined up once more, although this time my gaze was concentrated on the piece of paper that I had been making notes on throughout the day. I scanned my handwriting, reminding myself of their flaws and strengths, before lifting my head.

"Those of you remaining have performed to a standard worthy of the Turks, and I believe that you are all capable of carrying out the duties that would be bestowed upon you. However, not all of you will be accepted."

I shifted my weight to my other foot, and flicked my eyes back to my notes momentarily.

"Safia, Louis and Raone, you have all proven that you are exceptional fighters, but will not be joining the Turks. You all failed to take full notice of your surroundings; a critical action when protecting someone's life. Especially someone as prestigious as President Shinra. Raone, you also performed poorly at the endurance test, which is something intolerable in our line of work. Please take as much time as you need to collect your things."

They looked disappointed, but I ignored it. Verdot had trusted me with the task of weeding out the unsatisfactory, and I hoped he would agree with my judgement. I turned to the remaining four, who were beginning to recover fully. They all looked exhausted. "Congratulations," I told them. "You have proven that you are capable of joining us and able to work to the standard we expect. I look forward to working with each and every one of you. You all have one last day of complete freedom to do whatever you want; I advise you spend it with your families or loved ones, as days off do not come frequently. I expect to see you all in the office on the forty-fourth floor the day after tomorrow at eight in the morning, where you will be issued uniforms and keycards."

One of the girls raised her hand. She was the child from the files that Myra had expressed shock at earlier.

"What will be doing on the first day?" she asked, and I noticed one of the other successful candidates assume an expression of surprise. Likely he hadn't noticed just how small she was compared to everyone else.

"You will be introduced to your other colleagues and Verdot, the head of our department. Once formalities are over, you will be sent on a patrol of the upper plate of Midgar - something that every new Turk is assigned to. You won't be given any missions asides from patrols and reports until at least next week, so you can adapt to the new environment."

The girl nodded, ignoring the looks she was receiving. She kept her eyes focused on me, and I returned her gaze steadily.

"You are all free to leave," I informed them. "If you want to ask any questions, I will be clearing things away."

I hadn't expected anyone to stay behind, but once again, the young girl did. She waited until everyone else had left the room before speaking.

"Is it possible to stay here?" she asked. I deposited the mannequin I'd been carrying to its rightful position before replying.

"What do you mean?"

"I won't have anywhere to live after tomorrow. Is there a spare office or something I could sleep in once I start work?"

She hadn't moved, so I returned to my earlier position to better speak with her. Now that the other rookies had left, she looked considerably smaller, but she still met my eye confidently.

"You're Cissnei, right?" I asked, and she nodded. "Ah... you're from the orphanage near Kalm... sorry," I added quickly. She shrugged in reply. "From what I know, you were scouted by this department specifically - that happens only rarely these days, and I can say with completely certainty that you're the youngest to ever be scouted before."

"I heard that I would have been recruited earlier, except I needed to finish basic education first."

"Of course, you've been training since you were six... In answer to your question, almost all of the office currently lives in the Shinra building, although two of them are planning to move into apartments within the month. I'm sure we'll be able to accommodate you as well."

She nodded again, but seemed much more at ease, and I swore I could see the faint beginnings of a smile. She began her own walk to the lift and I turned my back to her, continuing to put items and weapons away, wanting to return to the office as quickly as possible. Her expression had suddenly reminded me of another young girl I knew, and I felt myself frown thoughtfully as I cleared up.

* * *

The introduction to the rest of the office went smoothly, and the the new Turks appeared to settle in extremely quickly, already cracking jokes with the others by the time they were sent off to patrol different sections of the upper plate. Myra had swooped down almost instantaneously onto Cissnei, the youngest of the group, and announced that she would look after her if she ever needed it. Nile saved the girl from being smothered and shook hands with the other members: a young woman with blonde hair that seemed extremely reserved, who we found out was the daughter of a well-to-do firearms instructor in Shinra, who went by the name of Katherine; a silent, tall, bald man with an array of barbells in his ears and a pair of - though it pained me to admit it - cool sunglasses perched on his nose, who was Rude; and a young, chipper blonde man called Terrence who had a rosy-cheeked, boyish-curled appearance and told us all cheerfully to call him Terry.

Verdot came in briefly and gave them a quick inspirational speech, no doubt instilling fear into all of them, and looked over them in silence. He raised his eyes to meet mine and nodded almost imperceptibly.

It felt good, being accepted.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Oh, man, it feels like it's taken me forever to get this finished. I've been so distracted by other things, I'm SO SORRY! I got a small writer's block after writing the first chunk and just gave up for a while, started about five billion games at the same time and gave up on most of them, and then made myself come back and finish writing the rest of it. Could probably be a whole heap better, but at time of writing this a/n I was only really wanting to find my copy of FFIX again so I could replay it (aka "I was a bit preoccupied lol") - but I'm happy with this chapter first time around, surprisingly enough. As always, enjoy, thank you for the reviews/favourites, and please to be constructively criticising the way I write. :D

(And I must thank Licoriceallsorts particularly because I stole an idea from a fic of theirs and I hope they don't mind particularly. It was just such a good idea.)

And as a little afterthought note thing. Why isn't the word "unimpress" in my dictionary/thesaurus? I wanted to look up a synonym for it and it just... wasn't there. I am most confused.

* * *

CHAPTER FOUR

* * *

My next visit to the church in the slums yielded a surprise. I'd had a day off and decided to spend it out in Midgar rather than at home; it felt like I'd only been looking at walls lately and a walk around the city seemed like the perfect remedy to my boredom. There was work I could have been doing; places and people I could have been investigating, but since my promotion I had more responsibility and much less freedom. Spending my time wandering around aimlessly appeared to be the best way to use the day, and I felt like visiting the slums for a change. Despite the upper place being a much nicer - and cleaner - area, I wasn't the only person spending leisure time down here. The shops were much cheaper, and there was enough to see and do, especially if you were into construction or fighting the occasional monster. To the delight of my colleagues, there was a wide variety of bars open almost constantly, selling hard liquor for a ridiculously low price. It came as no surprise that Reno visited such establishments regularly.

I'd been deep in thought when the scenery changed and I was broken from my reverie, having realised that my feet had taken me unconsciously through Sector Five and that I was now wandering close to the lower border of Midgar. I stopped, intending to turn back and detour to Wall Market before going back home, but the presence of the church stole my attention. It was unchanged from the last time I'd seen it - a close look showed that one door stood slightly ajar, with no way of staying locked shut - and I was filled with an inexplicable desire to enter.

The interior was cool and dim, a pleasant change from the everpresent neon strips outside. Shivering a little, I progressed through the church silently, rubber soled boots making no noise. The air was... faintly fragrant, and I wondered if a bottle of perfume had been knocked over in the recent past. This idea was pushed from my mind as I advanced further and surveyed the floor ahead - sprouting from the cracks in the wooden boards were several exotic-looking flowers, with large white petals and thick, leafy stems. I stopped moving to take in the sight fully, breath catching in my throat. _She_ had to have been coming here regularly; there was no other explanation for this sight - grass, plants and the like simply didn't grow in Midgar. It was impossible. I thought back to Mrs. Gainsborough's gardens and knew they would be flourishing spectacularly - after a little poking around, I'd learnt it was no secret that Elmrya had been trying to grow greenery there for a long time without fruition. It was only since her husband had sent her some seeds and soil from overseas and her newfound daughter had appeared that she had succeeded; the flowers I had seen all that time ago had been from the Wutai region and although there had been lots of them, they had all been in the early stages of life.

But here was a different matter. There was no foreign earth under the floorboards for natural plants to take life from, only the dry, Mako-less soil that was physically useless. With her powers - and I no longer doubted that they existed - it would be easy to make the flora sprout and grow. I inhaled deeply, thinking deeply about the Cetra, and my eyes caught sight of a book on the floor nearby. It was thick and worn at the spine; I walked to it and picked it up.

_Myths and Legends_, the title read, and I opened it to its index page. Seven chapters were listed, which surprised me - for such a large book, I expected much more. I thumbed to a random page somewhere in the middle and scanned it quickly, realising that the book went into a lot of detail about anything and everything that was even remotely related to its contents. I looked around, saw that I was near a pew and sat on it. I flicked to the beginning of the text and started to read about four youths bearing crystal shards.

The light progressively got worse as the time flew by, but I barely noticed, completely absorbed in the book. It had been a long time since I'd indulged in such simple pleasures; all I seemed to read these days were endless reports and details on targets. It felt like I had released a younger version of myself into the world, one that read books quietly while his mother poured small cups of delicately fragranced tea from a faraway land.

"Are you enjoying it?"

"Hm? Oh-" I'd heard my mother's voice instead that of the girl that had addressed me, and had to remind myself that I was living in the present. I continued to read without lifting my head even slightly. "Let me finish this page."

There was no reply, and I shut her presence out while I read on, finishing the page and starting another, forgetting about family and responsibility once more. She hummed quietly to herself, keeping her distance from me, surveying the plants and wandering around. This scene dragged on for a while before I decided it would be best to return home for the night; I vaguely remembered planning that earlier, and the promise of work the next day encouraged me to leave. I started to dog-ear the page I was on before remembering it wasn't my property, and shut it with a soft thump instead, resting it in my lap. I blinked, eyes adjusting to the dark quickly.

"You don't seem like the kind of person that would like fairytales," Aerith commented to my right, without turning around. I watched her, saw the muscles in her back stretch as she reached out to the plants. She had grown since we'd last seen each other; her hair no longer rested on her shoulders and fell almost to her waist, and I could see that her shoes were too big for her. She was waiting for an answer, I realised.

"I used to read them when I was still a kid. Don't have much cause for it, now." I paused. "I would have thought you'd be too old to read stories like these now, too."

She turned her head to the side so she could see me out of the corner of her eye, and fixed me with a cold stare as best she could.

"I'm using them to learn how to read. There aren't any schools around here and they wouldn't accept a twelve year old that couldn't read even if there were. Mama's helping me."

Twelve. She was twelve. It didn't seem like four years had simply _passed_, with only the faintest of thoughts of her keeping me company, but apparently they had. It seemed almost ridiculous, and I made a mental note that this wasn't becoming behaviour of a Turk, before ignoring it completely. I set the book down and stood, back stiff from the hard wooden bench. She turned her head away from me again, and I knew that somehow, I'd inadvertantly offended her. I felt... guilty.

"I like the flowers," I said as I began the long journey home. "You should grow more of them."

I never visited the church on my days off after that, but I did acquire a copy of the text that I'd been reading in its tranquil confines from Mayor Domino and read it almost religiously, learning all there was to know about those seven legends. In the months that passed I often wondered if she had learnt to read successfully, occasionally toying with the idea of visiting her to ask, but made up my mind not to see her again unless I absolutely had to.

I think it was then that I made up my mind. Until she decided to assist of her own will, Shinra couldn't have her.

* * *

That autumn left a strong impression on me. Shinra had opened its arms to the kids wanting to join once more, and hundreds had gathered from all corners of the world to prove their worth. From what I'd heard, the majority talked big and fought shoddily - there were even a few older boys that returned year after year in the vain hope of being accepted after being turned away so many times before. I didn't understand why they came back; if they had been rejected before, there was barely any chance they would be taken now, not when the kids with potential were competing against them. And there were such strict regulations on how the recruits could live, too - I'd only heard rumours, but there were tales of genetic alterations and experiments being conducted on SOLDIER by the science department. It had been discussed in the office several times, each talk ending with the fervent agreement to stay on the good sides - if they even existed - of Hojo and Hollander.

One morning I'd been given orders to escort the director of SOLDIER as he watched over the recruits and their proceedings. He was a nice man, a few months older than I was, and expressed loyalty to the company. He seemed to be someone trustworthy, and as he led the way to the SOLDIER training grounds we talked. We discussed work, learning a little about how different our offices were, and before long were chatting almost completely amiably about the slightest of things, feeling content with each other's company. He was enthusiastic about his work, but not in an extreme way; I found out that he had been with the company for eight years and had never once considered defecting, not even to another department. His loyalty was admirable, and he laughed heartily when I told him so.

"The same could be said about you," he smiled. "And all the other Turks. You do the company's dirty work, not to mention you work under Director Verdot. He's a strict guy, but he speaks highly of you."

Our conversation turned to our opinions of the higher-ups as we approached the training grounds. We passed briefly over any poisonous judgement we might have had against the Heads of Departments - a wise move, considering how a few of them were present for the viewing of the recruits - and began to inquire about the types of people working in our offices. He was interested to learn about the other Turks and how we worked together, although he was concentrating less and less as we grew closer to the podium that he would be watched the procedings from. It was elevated over a large floor, filled with young boys and girls with eyes gleaming with motivation, in neat, uniform ranks. Several members of the infantry and two Third Class SOLDIERS lined the walls casually, ready to jump in and stop the induction training if anything went wrong. The man I was escorting ascended to the platform and surveyed the ranks below with what seemed like a satisfied glint in his eyes.

"Good morning," he addressed them calmly, and I wondered if he was used to speaking to large crowds. Verdot certainly wasn't, and only two people in the office liked speaking for a prolonged period of time. "My name is Lazard Deusericus, and I am the director of SOLDIER. I wish every person here today the best of luck; joining me today to watch your evaluation, amongst a handful of others, is General Sephiroth, First Class."

My heart skipped a beat involuntarily, and my eyes snapped around wildly to catch sight of the man feared and awed the world over. He was sitting some way to the left, watching the lines as Lazard was and looking completely bored. I stared for too long; he must have felt my gaze and lifted his eyes to meet mine coolly. What felt like an eternity passed before I was able to look away and stare unseeingly in front of me, trying to keep my composure and feeling my pulse rocket. To think that _the_ Sephiroth was sitting only a few paces away from me... somehow I kept from fidgeting, and forced myself to concentrate once more. Lazard finished his introductory speech and descended from his elevated position, sighing contentedly as he came to a standstill, gesturing over at the the warrior to join us.

"Sorry for not telling you who would be attending in advance," he said, adjusting his glasses. "No doubt this has come as a bit of a shock, I assume you haven't met him before..? Well, you've no doubt heard of him. General Sephiroth," he finished as the man reached us, and turned to him. They exchanged a smile and a nod. "Sephiroth, this is Tseng, of the Turks. Verdot assigned him to second-in-command some years ago."

"The Turks?" the taller man repeated, the traces of what I assumed to be a smirk apparent in the slight curve of his lips. It amazed me to even think that the man responsibly for the quelling of several rebellious factions around the world single-handedly could be standing here, regarding me so casually. He held his hand out. "A pleasure. If Verdot chose you, you must be good. From what I know, he's good at training. His last colleague was worthy of taking over office, too."

I grasped his outstretched hand and shook it firmly twice, wondering who had worked with the boss before I had and why they weren't with us anymore. "You've met our Head? I thought our departments worked separately." His expression soured a little and he shook his head.

"I've worked with the Turks before, but only when the company has thought it would be for the best. Usually only highly-ranked, dangerous missions such as investigating the whereabouts or disposing of targets, et cetera."

I nodded, and glanced at the recruits. It looked like their induction training was much, much harder than that of the Turks - or at least, filled with more physical exertion. I turned my eyes back to see the general pull a small phone out of his coat and press it to his ear. He grunted at the receiver and returned it to his pocket, shaking his head again before straightening and facing Lazard.

"The President wants me," he explained. "My apologies for this interruption, director - I'll try to get back as soon as possible to oversee the rest of the training."

"Don't push your luck," the other man smiled. "If he needs you for the rest of the day, then stay. I'll be able to keep a lid on things this end." He brushed his hair out of his eyes as Sephiroth turned to me, inclining his head as he did so.

"Give my regards to Verdot."

* * *

A week passed with nothing remotely interesting happening. The second week saw the upper plate being showered with rain and Katherine sent to help transport something from the weapons department to the Nibel region, and was every bit as uneventful as its predecessor. We were given a few jobs that involved going to the slums to find informants and make them tell us about smuggling routes and other things that we needed to be aware of, and they gave the information up easily. Our time out of the office, thanks to them, was as boring as if we hadn't moved an inch.

I was sent out more regularly than the others, usually with more to do - my responsibilities entailed roughing a few thugs up in order to keep them away from Shinra's property, something we didn't want to send the newer Turks to do. They'd invariably panic a little at the idea of beating up Midgar's citizens. After a couple of years of the job, they were very much used to violence on the streets and occasionally instigating it for the sake of protecting the public, but they weren't so cold-blooded yet that they could calmly walk into a den of well-built men that weren't expecting anyone and pummel three of them half to death. At least, Cissnei and Terry weren't.

I returned from lower Sector Three five weeks after meeting the feared General Sephiroth to an almost entirely full office; I was in a bad mood from the mission, which had led me to cross paths with some fool that thought it would be a good idea to pull a knife on me and demand all the gil I was carrying. I wanted nothing more than to fill out this damn report and blow some steam off in the shooting gallery, but life didn't seem to think this was an appropriate course of action to take. The newest irritation came in form of Reno, who was lounging about doing nothing useful.

"Verdot says he wants you to report to him," he called to me as I tried to make my way to my desk without being bothered. "And he told me to tell you to see him the second you got in." "What about?" I snapped, irritation plain. The lazy man held up his hands defensively.

"Beats me, but it seemed important."

I growled and glared at my desk, knowing that if I didn't drag myself to the boss right away there would be hell to pay at some point in the near future. I glared at the table a little longer, making it realise just how displeased I was with this turn of events, and continued walking past Reno, who had resumed his previous inactivity. The boss had been spending a lot of time with us lately on the forty-fourth floor, shut up in the office in the back of the room instead of the room two floors below. I wasn't sure which was better - having him closer to where we worked, or further away where the majority of our weapons were held. During the day, more than a few worried glanced were shot at his door, everyone half-expecting at all times our stern boss to emerge and scold us for slacking. The idle redhead was being particularly brave by just staring at the ceiling.

I knocked on his door once and entered without waiting for a reply, my annoyance making me act out of place. The room was stuffy, the air conditioning unit switched off, and the desk was covered in papers that had yet to be arranged - Verdot sat with the fingers of his hands threaded together, and his blazer hanging haphazardly on the back of his chair. The sleeves of his shirt were rolled up to the elbow and my eyes were drawn to his right forearm, where real flesh met with skin-coloured plastic. I didn't see his prosthetic limb often, and it made me feel uneasy whenever I did.

"You wanted to see me, sir."

His eyes remained on the papers spread out in front of him, though he spoke directly to me. "Take a seat, Tseng. This shouldn't take too long, but there's no reason why you can't make yourself comfortable."

I sat, and kept my eyes on the boss, who still didn't look up. There was silence until my irritation flared up once more, and I cracked a knuckle noisily. "Sir?" I prompted quietly.

"...We've been sent orders from the President," he began slowly, as though he wasn't sure how to voice them. "Concerning his plans for Neo-Midgar and the Promised Land."

"Shouldn't any orders about those be sent to Urban Development?" I asked, not understanding. Verdot raised his gaze and looked me straight in the eye, ignoring my question.

"Your orders are to tail and observe the Ancient that's living in the slums. I'm sure you know who I'm speaking about."

He paused to let this information sink in, watching me closely. Disbelief and confusion were struggling to show on my face, and I forced a calm mask over them, facing the boss without emotion, breathing evenly. He leant back in his chair and exhaled heavily through his nose. "I'm disappointed, Tseng. You should be quicker to hide your emotions." I wanted to bow my head in apology, but knew better. He continued to look at me with a deeply unimpressed air about him, and spoke again. "As I said, you are to tail her and report back regularly. Once every two days should be fine. If she shows any sign of having any... powers, then she is to be taken in as soon as possible, and Shinra will deal with her accordingly." He paused, and looked disgusted for a moment. "The scientists wanted her brought in straight away to experiment. Be thankful I spoke to the President privately."

I nodded, mind racing, and wondered how I'd be able to keep her safe from Shinra now.

"You're free to go," he said, turning his attention back to his desk once more, but I remained seated.

"Can I ask you something?" I asked, having decided to be bold. "Not as my boss. I want to ask Verdot a question."

He looked at me for a long, hard moment, and I returned the gaze without blinking. He unlaced his fingers and lay his hands flat on the papers he had probably been studying all day, and seemed weary all of a sudden.

"...Very well. If I deem it too personal, then I won't answer." I nodded and felt more than a little self-conscious as he continued to watch me.

"Have you..." I stopped, chewed the inside of my lip for a moment, and started again. "If you had to choose between orders and personal choice, which would you pick?"

He closed his eyes, and I imagined him to be exasperated at his supposedly well brought-up, trustworthy second-in-command, who couldn't take his orders without a lengthy explanation - this wasn't the person he had trained all those years ago. I looked closer, and realised that he didn't look frustrated - he looked... sad, and old, as though he was remembering something painful from long ago.

"I... would choose the orders, no matter what they were," he replied after a while, keeping his eyes shut. "Yes, I... the orders."

"Why?" I blurted out, unable to stop myself. He looked at me then, and I wished he hadn't. I was seeing some part of this man's soul that had never been revealed to another person, and it was swimming in years of unshed tears.

"Because I'm a Turk."

I got up and exited in silence, feeling embarrassed for the both of us, leaving the man to his memories.

* * *

After receiving my new orders, I spent very little time in the office. My routine changed to allow me time to slip behind my desk for maybe a couple of minutes each morning before sending me down to the slums, where the muggy air stank. I didn't wear the dark suit that was my uniform often anymore, knowing that it would only make me stand out, and for the first time since I was a boy, pulled my hair back into a ponytail everyday to give the illusion of short hair. There were all sorts of people under the plate, and I doubted that anyone would give me or my tilak much notice if I wore old clothes.

I quickly found that Aerith's day didn't change much. She would stay in her house until about midday, when she would make the fifteen minute journey by herself to the church. Occasionally she would stop and talk with other children her age, or buy groceries while walking back, and she always spent the evenings playing in the garden, sometimes helping Elmrya to plant new flowers. I set up cameras in the church one evening, and watched her during the day from a small room not too far from the church itself that I had bought for what was a pittance to me, that I used as a base.

While alone, she was every bit as animated as if she was with friends, even talking to the air, and liked to pace near the altar at the back of the church, where flowers and plants continued to sprout from under the floorboards. She must have taken my casual suggestion from all those months ago seriously, because there were at least eleven flowers in full bloom, with a few others struggling to grow around them. One afternoon I sat and watched her struggle to pull up some of the wooden slats so she could plant more seeds, and wondered how long it had been since anyone had come here to offer prayer to any gods that might exist. A long time, I deduced, as the church was beginning to fall into disrepair thanks to the actions of a certain couple of people, and no-one came to fix any of the broken items.

Every two days, I reported back that Aerith showed no sign of possessing any spiritual powers, feeling only a little guilty that I was betraying the company's trust.

I took up smoking every now and again in this time, finding a little comfort in the rich smoke clouds as I settled in to watch my target. I returned late one evening to the upper plate, ready to deliver my report and collapse into bed, and took the lift up to the office. We weren't allowed to smoke inside Shinra Headquarters, but I figured that barely anyone would still be around at this time of night and want to yell at me for breaking the rules, and I took a long drag from what was left of my cigarette as I went to give my report to Verdot. He was on the phone as I entered the office, looking tired and a little bemused.

"Yes, I understand. I'll be there immediately." He hung up and stood, flexing his fingers as he saw me. "Reno says he has arrested a thief in the parking lot. You can come with me and give me your report on the way."

He made me stub out the cigarette before we entered the lift, glaring at the offensive item.

"You do realise what those things do to you?" he lectured as we waited. "I don't want my best man screwing up on the job because of cancer or something."

"It's not like I have them everyday, sir..."

"Nevermind how many you have a day or when you have them. I just don't like the idea of you throwing your health away for the sake of..." he paused while we entered the confined area, and wrinkled his nose as the doors slid shut. "What brand are you buying, anyway? It stinks."

I slipped the packet out of my pocket, passing it to him and biting the inside of my cheek to prevent myself smirking. "Same as you, sir."

He cast a single, scathing look at the pack and grunted, handing it back. "Any change in the girl's behaviour?" "No, sir. Same routine day in and day out, and she acts like any other kid her age does."

He grunted again as we reached the parking lot, which was on a sub-level to the rest of the building. We exited and saw the two troublemakers a little distance away, jabbing at each other with fists. Our man spotted us first and dodged a blow to his gut, yelling at us to _hurry the hell up_. His opponent looked up as we jogged towards them, decided it would be a good idea to disappear and tried to run. Reno launched himself at the man's legs and brought him down with a crash. "Care to fill us in?" Verdot asked, looking down at the two redheads. The Turk was laying on the other man's legs, preventing him from getting up and away; his lower lip had split and it looked like he'd have quite the bruise on his cheek in a few hours.

"This bastard snuck in and tried to steal a bike," he explained. "Then made a run for it once I appeared and tried to beat the crap outta me once I caught up with him."

The boss nodded once, and told Reno to get off the man, which he did instantly. I helped him to his feet and watched the boss kneel and grab the thief's collar roughly, yanking him suddenly into a sitting position. I heard a seam rip.

"What's your name, which part of Midgar do you come from and why were you trying to steal company property?"

The other man stayed silent.

"I don't repeat myself. Answer the questions."

Blue eyes glared up into almost black ones, and the man spat, catching his opponent in the face. "I don't answer to questions from some old man. Quit fucking around and get off me."

Carefully, deliberately, the boss reached up with his free hand and wiped the saliva off with his sleeve. Without breaking eye contact with the man on the floor, he held out the same hand and addressed me. "Gun."

I handed him the pistol that lived in my jacket, taking a step back to watch in awe alongside the equally astounded Reno. Deftly, Verdot clicked the hammer into place and jammed the barrel under the man's jaw.

"You'll give me the answers I want, or I'll blow your fucking head off. I'm not asking again. Start talking."

The thief flicked his gaze over to where we were standing, watching the proceedings with amazement but not particularly caring if the night ended gory or not, and then back to the boss. He understood that we weren't screwing around now, and seemed to deflate a little.

"My name's Jon. I'm a... gang leader from the Plate. Sector 2. The, uh, Crossovers. I came here to see if I could get away with taking a bike."

The gun's position didn't move. "Why?" "'Cause I'm the best there is," he replied arrogantly. "I figured if anyone could do it, it'd be me, but I got caught. Guess Shinra's security really is as good as they say."

Three pairs of eyes were fixed on the forty-something year old that was still holding all the cards, who was pausing to see if the kid could be put to any use.

"You say you're the best."

"There's nothing I can't do, pops. Well... 'part from take that bike," he added almost mournfully. "I'm good with all kinds of vehicles - cars, bikes, you name it, I can get 'em running even if they've been taken apart and shot to hell; can steal anything you need without getting caught; can fight and win against seven armed men no problem."

The gun drooped, barrel now aiming at the man's collarbone instead.

"I've got a deal for you. Are you listening? Good. First option: you can get up and leave, and I'll let you go without putting a few holes in you first. You keep your face and your gang away from Shinra and I won't send my men after you." He paused to scratch his chin. "Second option: You burn all ties to your gang, you get your act together by tomorrow morning and you come and work for me."

A long, long moment passed as we all digested this offer. Then Reno exploded.

"Sir, what - I'm not - what - you - I _refuse to work with this guy_!" he sputtered, going red in the cheeks and ears with indignation and possibly anger.

"I'm not talking to you right now. Shut up," was the response he got, and lapsed instantly into mutinous silence. Cocky he may have been, but by no means was Reno brave enough to talk back to Verdot. The would-be thief thought about it, frowning slightly, and I could see that he'd have a shiner where he'd been hit on the chin by tomorrow.

"Who are you guys?" he said at length. "Are you Shinra's personal thugs or something like that?" "Something like that," the older man conceded. "We are a small, elite division called the Turks. We deal in a lot of stuff dirty, underhanded and dangerous, and we only take on the best. If you join, you will be working under me, and I will make sure you realise, reach and exceed your potential. My name is Verdot."

A fly buzzed noisily in the silence while Jon decided what to do with his life.

"Alright, yeah, fine. I'll do it - I'll join. It better be as good as you say." He shot a filthy look at Reno, which was returned with just as much love. "..._Sir_."

At last he was let up, and my gun was returned to me, safety on and the hammer returned to its original position. Both redheads retired for the night, one muttering angrily to himself about stupid bosses and even stupider gang members, and I found myself donating a cigarette to my boss, who looked weary of the world and its assholes.

And so another Turk joined our motley crew.

* * *

I heard that the office became very lively during the first week that our new recruit began working for us. Reno was still sulking over Verdot's benevolence and Jon's decision, and had taken to being sneakily antagonistic - casually getting in the way of the ex-gang leader and leaving large piles of work out for his subordinate to finish, for example. I caught glimpses of his behaviour when I returned to give my reports to the boss every other evening, and found myself rolling my eyes more than once at his idiocy. It was anyone's guess how the boss hadn't caught Reno at his new game, but I figured it would only be a matter of time before he got bored, or more likely, someone in the office decided to beat some sense into him.

And so life continued, eventful as ever. I remained based in the slums, telling the people that wanted to know that Aerith seemed like any other child her age, and feeling relieved when they swallowed my lies without question. Of course they would: I was a Turk, someone firmly loyal to the company; I had no reason that they knew of to lie. I wondered if Verdot believed the reports I gave him; whatever he thought, he never challenged what I told him. On some unconscious level, I think he knew I was covering for her, but if he did, he made no comment of it.

Very soon, I was told to report back to office once a week instead of every two days. I only visited headquarters when I had to or when I was called back for something, which was becoming more infrequent as time went by. I suppose the others were filling in for me - Reno had been around long enough to do as much important stuff as I did, and Myra had been with the company even longer than I had - but I highly doubted that Verdot placed as much trust in any of the other Turks as he did with me. It was nothing personal, of course - I respected my colleagues just as much as the next man - but the boss _had_ picked me for second-in-command. I wondered what he'd told the rest of the department about my temporary disappearance.

A little over a year passed, with my routine kept completely the same. I had somehow been able to keep Aerith from any investigations, abductions or otherwise, although at some point I had asked the boss whether it was necessary to keep watching her. I thought it would be a good idea to raise doubts about her apparently non-existant powers; despite this, I was still sent to keep an eye on her, not that I particularly minded. I made a report every week and delivered it in person, just to have a change from muggy air and dank scenery. One night, there were people waiting for me to return - an entire office of them.

"Tseng!" Reno had called once I entered the room. "Come and spend the night with us!"

I set the small bundle of papers on my desk, wondering why they all looked so gleeful and whether I was in danger or not. "...I'll pass. Hasn't the boss asked you to do some investigations on that rebel group that keeps popping up?" "No, no, no!" came the reply. "That's not what you're supposed to say!"

"He's right!" Myra joined in, hands on her hips and looking incredibly bossy. Seeing her like this made it impossible to bring to mind the image of her with her favourite hunting shotgun, taking down monsters and criminals with lightning speed and precision. It was easy to forget how deadly everyone in the office was. "Here we all are, gathered to go out and celebrate your birthday, and you're just throwing it back in our faces!"

"You want to... what?"

"It was Cissnei's idea," Reno grinned, pushing her forward. "Said that we should do something for you since you're never around anymore, and also 'cause it was your birthday last week. Uh, at least, we think it was."

The girl met my gaze, and smiled warmly. I felt one of my own slipping onto my face, and struggled to keep it back, trying to keep up the cold superior image that worked well with this job. I shrugged, attempting nonchalancy. "What did you have in mind?"

"A Turtle's Paradise opened up somewhere under the plate a few weeks ago. Y'know, one of those bars from Wutai? Kate's sister works there, too, so everything'll be super cheap!" Myra said, to a small smattering of applause. "What do you say, Tseng? Let's go get _smashed_."

The evening went pretty well after we found our bearings. We stepped out from the train station and promptly lost ourselves for ten minutes in the slums, desperately trying to navigate. An accidental left turn on Jon's behalf led us to the building's gaudy lights and glasses of cheap booze. The blonde girl behind the counter shot deadly glares at us as we ordered drinks strong enough to strip paint, answering less than courteously, and sending Reno into such irritation that he threatened to slap some manners into her. Katherine fixed him with a cold look before introducing the rude teenager as her younger sibling, Elena, and we grabbed the table nearest the bar.

Sometime later, we were the only people still there, and the staff looked annoyed at us. Cissnei had been sitting next to me for some time, having deemed it a safer place to be than next to Jon - who was now attempting to flirt unsuccessfully with Katherine - and pulling faces everytime she tasted the alcohol.

"So... how old are you, anyway?" she asked with some difficulty, not used to getting drunk.

"Twenty-seven," I replied, refilling my glass. "Though I feel a hell of a lot older most of the time."

She frowned and stared at my face. "You don't look it. You look way, way younger. I hope I can look that young when I'm your age," she added, blowing hair out of her eyes and downing what was left of her drink.

"You will. You're what, sixteen now?" She nodded, shoving her glass away from her. "You still look about eight."

"Shut up," she mumbled, and glared at me. "Actually, hey - you look kind of different."

"Huh?"

"Only a bit. Maybe it's 'cause you haven't been around for a while, maybe I forgot what you look like...?" "I know why!" Myra crowed, leaning across the table to join in and spilling someone's drink in the process. "Cissy, take a good look, 'kay? This is what a man in love looks like."

There was silence in our corner. The blonde smirked and took my glass from me; I prised it from her before she could drain it, and she continued her explanation as though nothing had happened, slurring her words a little. "He's been out of the office for ages, so he could easily have met some chick, right? And he's had this kind of... dreamy look on his face half the night." she tried to emulate it, and went cross-eyed. Cissnei giggled, and she turned to me. "So? Is it true?"

"It's none of your business," I replied, pushing her hand away from my glass again.

"What? Come on, Tseng, we're _frieeeends_, you can tell me." She shook her head suddenly, and pushed herself up. "Actually, 'scuse me. I gotta go pee."

She left us, and I found myself being stared at. I tried to ignore it for as long as possible, watching Nile lean his head against the table and try to protect his ears. Terry patted his back gently and refilled the older man's glass; I turned my head to see the young girl still looking at me. I leant towards her.

"Don't tell anyone about that."

"So it's true?" Her face lit up. "Who is she?"

"None of your business," I repeated, voice low. "Just... don't tell anyone. Myra'll forget about this, but you're not half as drunk as she is."

"Sure thing, boss. Cross my heart, blah blah blah."

I was quiet for a while. Yes, I suppose that Myra was almost right - somewhere along the way, I'd stopped simply being interested in her for the sake of the job, or my own curiosity. It wasn't love, but I was most definitely infatuated with Aerith. She was going to grow up to be beautiful, anyone could see that. She was kind. She was mysterious in so many ways, and I wanted to discover what else she could do, and keep it to myself; keep her safe until - if - she decided to help the company.

This was bad, and I knew it probably wouldn't get better. For a start, she was still only a child - she was younger than Cissnei was. I shuddered inwardly at the idea of anyone finding out even that much - and she hated me because every time I spoke to her I insulted her somehow. And of course, I was watching her on company orders. Watching her without her knowledge. It felt like a precious thing all of a sudden, and very dirty - I gulped a glass of vodka in one to take my mind off it, and knew that this was the start of something twisted and ugly. Ironic, considering love was supposed to be a poetic kind of thing.

And I knew I wasn't going to catch a break anytime soon.

* * *

I didn't have any way of knowing just how right I was. Verdot called me in the morning and ordered me to headquarters - I made my way sluggishly from my small shack in the slums, not having had the strength to walk far the previous night, and cursed alcohol for the pounding headache I had.

The rest of the office seemed in similar shape. Had I been sober and ready to face life, seeing Myra and Reno struggling to stand upright would have easily amused me, but duty called in the guise of a stern man, who was looking less-than-pleased at having a completely hungover department.

"Sir?" I mumbled as I entered his office, grateful to be invited to sit down.

"As you're no doubt aware," Verdot began, oblivious to the agony in my skull. "There have been reports from around Midgar lately of some kind of resistance faction called AVALANCHE. We don't know what their overall agenda is, but they have demonstrated that they are a dangerous group, and the President has asked for us to investigate matters. I've asked Reno and Rude for the time being, but I think that you'll be coming back to the office once we know what they're after. In the meantime, keep your eyes and ears open when you're in the slums."

"Of course, sir."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Oh man, this chapter was both fun and a pain in the ass to write. I wrote most of it in one evening (after spending several days writing the opening two paragraphs. Eurgh, I hate writer's block with a passion), and I know it's not the longest thing in the world compared to the last two chapters (What am I talking about? It's waaaaay shorter than I was expecting it to be), but bear with me. This chapter opens up the _Before Crisis_ arc! ...and as I've never played the game, I have only transcripts to rely on, so excuse the writing if it's shoddy or doesn't match up directly to the game. :) As always, concrit and reviews are appreciated.

I'm still doing exams at the moment, so I'm not sure when I'll be able to write the next chapter (ohmaigawd this was just so much fun to write, I really don't do enough action or suspense 8D)- and I promise it'll be longer than this! I'll be combining two episodes of BC together into ONE CHAPTER :0 - but I'll get cracking on it ASAP.  
_small edit - spacing has been sorted out using line breaks that I didn't know existed. I'll be using these from now on, but that was one hell of a pain in the ass to go back and fix. _

* * *

CHAPTER FIVE

* * *

Not for the first time that shift, I wished I could go home. Even the simple thought of my bed was enough to make my eyelids droop and my shoulders sag - I had to concentrate, or we were never going to uncover the headquarters or plans of this terrorist group. They had been around for some time, I believe, waiting for the perfect chance to attack and take down Shinra, and now seemed to be the time to set their plans in motion. Reports of sabotaged Shinra goods and vehicles were coming in from all areas of the city, and none of the usual gangs were responsible.

The President had deemed it our absolute number one priority to find this group and crush them, using any means necessary. Verdot had given us extra responsiblities as well as our day-to-day missions, and spent most of his office time scouring the company's network or surveillance camera footage for information, but they weren't of much help. We didn't have enough information to start questioning the citizens of Midgar - an action that would only have proved to work against us - and attacks were extremely irregular, happening without rhythm or, seemingly, strategy.

The air felt heavy around me, and I sipped at the scalding coffee in my hands, willing the caffeine to flood my system quickly. I was alone, the boss having left three hours previously as I'd entered the building, and the majority of the office was probably asleep. Two new recruits had been accepted to our division just over a month ago: a woman from North Corel named Kemi; and a cocky man from under the Plate who told us to call him Big C. They were both good fighters, although both had their flaws as well - Kemi had been in an accident years before and walked with a slight limp, but her aim with throwing knives was just as good (if not better) than Cissnei's accuracy with her shuriken; and Caspar - I absolutely loathed his overly casual manner and refused to call him by nickname - was a good shot with two pistols, but infuriatingly relaxed. After coming from the employment of Don Corneo, it was understandable, but that didn't make it any more tolerable.

Both of our rookies had been sent on a routine patrol of the Upper Plate, as per Turk regulations. Caspar had been sent to Sector 3, while Kemi was in Sector 8. It was a ridiculous time to still be out searching the streets, but we couldn't be too careful. We hadn't sent them to find our errant terrorists, but there were still plenty of thugs wandering the streets to keep a new Turk busy. I was still in the office to deal with any reports or sightings, however unlikely, that came in - we all took shifts in the evenings and early mornings, so our office was always ready to deal with information that came in. I took another sip of the burning coffee, and stared at the phone on my desk, wondering whether or not I should check in with the new Turks. I was allowed to worry; I was their boss, after all. Not to mention it was some unholy hour of the morning - they shouldn't have to deal with anything or anyone overly threatening.

Yes, it was better to be safe than sorry, and with that thought in mind I picked up my mobile and dialled Kemi's number. Caspar could hold his own much easier in a fight, although I could only hope he refrained from engaging in combat.

The phone continued to ring after a substantial amount of time had passed, and I frowned. She should have picked up by now and affirmed her safety. If she wasn't picking up, then something must have happened-

"Sir?" She sounded flustered, and I sat up a little straighter, assuming authority.

"What's your situation?"  
"I was attacked by two men," she replied. "They seemed to be... plotting something. Something about the downfall of Shinra."

It would be a lie to say my heart jumped into my throat, but I was running on my own power now, caffeine be damned. "I want you to see if there are any more of those men around. Stay quiet, and don't initiate combat. Just try to gather intelligence."

"Understood, sir. I'll get on it right away."

I hung up almost before she finished speaking, dialling the boss' number instantly. This seemed too good to be a mere coincidence - it absolutely had to be the terrorists we were after. I stood, pacing as the phone rang.  
"Speaking."

"Sir, there's been a disturbance in Sector 8. Kemi reported men that appear to be planning an attack on the company and don't hesitate to attack our recruits."

I could almost see him jump out of bed. "_What?_ Are they working alone? How are they planning to attack?"  
"We don't know, sir. I've sent Kemi to look into the situation, but there aren't any details at this time."

"I understand. Send someone in to act as support; I don't like the idea of a rookie trying to handle this alone. Keep me updated, Tseng. I'll be in the office soon."

The dial tone sounded in my ear, and I wondered who would be the best person to act as backup, mentally flicking through the list of candidates. Someone based in Sector 8 would have been perfect, but there wasn't anyone there. The closest member to her was Reno, a good fifteen minutes from Kemi's position. I hesitated for a fraction of a second before calling, hoping that he would have the good sense to keep strictly to orders tonight.

"Get out of bed," I ordered as he picked up, still pacing. "We need you in Sector 8 immediately. Bring your weapon, and some materia."

"What the hell is goin' on?" came the sleepy reply.

"Probably the terrorists we've been investigating, planning to blow the company off the world map. Get moving, Reno, you have to assist Kemi and track what these guys are doing."

"The chick? Sure thing, boss-man. Anything else, or-"  
"Just move. I'll keep you posted if anything comes up."

* * *

Verdot arrived in casual clothes, with ruffled hair, looking for all the world as though he'd rolled straight out of bed - which he probably had. He sat at the desk next to mine and took my now lukewarm coffee, swilling it and pulling faces as I called several people and informed them of the situation. Roughly twenty minutes after the initial report, I had our senior redhead on the way to protect one of our newest recruits, and had called Caspar, Myra and Terry and told them to drop whatever they were doing and head to the Sector 8 reactor. An earlier phone call from Kemi had told us that the group of terrorists were mainly based near the Mako reactor, prompting us to believe they would try to attack it directly. There was nothing to do but wait for a while, and we sat next to each other, alternating between blowing and sipping on our new burning cups of burning coffee.

Then the phone rang, and time seemed to speed up.

"Sir, there's been an explosion at the entrance to the reactor."

The boss stood so quickly he slopped coffee onto his clothes, and waved a hand at it irritably. "A lot of money has been invested into these reactors. If any of them are destroyed, the company will suffer a great deal, and the President will want our heads on a silver plate."

"If the reactor explodes," I returned heatedly, "The entire sector will go with it. Hundreds of lives are at stake here, and you're worried about the company's image?"

He gazed into my eyes for a quiet second, allowing me to reign in my emotion and breathe deeply. His voice was calm when he spoke. "Think about our position, Tseng. Stop the intruders at any cost."

He swept out of the office - presumably to inform the President about the situation - leaving me to call Kemi and give her new orders.

"This is important, so pay close attention. The underground entrance to the reactor's been blown open-"

"Sir, I'm so sorry, it's my fault-"

"We have other things to worry about right now," I cut across sharply. "Pull it together and follow the terrorists. They're aiming for the reactor; stop them from reaching it."

"...Understood."

I was alone again, sat in the same position I had been a long half-hour ago, but much more alert, and with nothing to do. There wasn't any point in contacting the other Turks on standby; I knew they'd be fighting to protect the reactor as best they could.

_This_ was the flashy side to the Turks. We had men running around Midgar, trying to protect the lives of many innocents, even though we knew hardly anything about who these rebels were, and we would do anything to stop them. I brought the computer to life and secured a link to the security cameras in and around the targeted Mako reactor, switching to the next feed once I established that no-one was in that particular area. A movement onscreen stopped me from changing the view; I held my finger off the keyboard and turned the volume up so I could hear the muffled audio better.

"Tell them to hurry up with the explosives. We gotta get through to the main passage somehow, and I'd like that to happen before Shinra finds out what's going on."

The speaker's comrade tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at the camera. There was some hushed conversation between them before they fired at the technology, effectively disabling my eyes and ears, but I had all the infomation I needed. I reached for my phone and called Kemi again.

"They're definitely after the reactor. They're plannig to breach the main passage to the core by blasting straight through it. Stop them at any cost."

Now there was nothing to do but wait once more. I pushed my coffee away from me and tapped keys at my computer with an almost frantic speed, trying to find some way to see what was going on. Several tense minutes passed, and I took to pacing again in an attempt to calm my nerves. I needed to be cool-headed and rational at all times, or I wasn't fit to lead the Turks - this job required so much more than just a talent with weapons. My phone buzzed, interrupting my train of throught, and I answered quickly.

"I've - I've stopped them from setting up the bomb."

The knot I didn't even know I'd had in my stomach unclenched and relaxed as those shaky, tired words came from the receiver. The door on the other side of the office slide open and Verdot walked in, frowning. "Good job. You stopped what could have been a disaster. I want you to come back to headquarters with Reno - if he's not with you, he should be in the area."  
"Yes, sir."

I swiveled in my chair to face the boss, rubbing at my eyes. He looked as tired as I felt. "What are the President's orders?"  
He slumped against a desk. "The usual. Find out as much as we can about this group and stop any plans they might try to put into action." My phone buzzed again, and I flipped it open to find a text from Reno, waiting to be read. The boss sighed as I opened it. "And you? What intelligence have you gathered?"

I was quiet for a moment, reading, and then nodded to myself. "We're dealing with the group we've been tracking for a couple of weeks now. They call themselves AVALANCHE, as we were able to discover some time ago, and they're a pretty large-scale terrorist organization. Reno says he'll keep looking into them for tonight, but that's all we know for now."

"How about their movements?"

"They're gathered in Junon. Those carrying out the bombing tonight were only a small group of stragglers, it seems."

The man opposite me swore, and picked at the sleeve of his jacket. "The President is in Junon right now. We'll have to go there directly to protect him... Alright," he muttered, half to himself. "Tseng, you go home and rest. I'll cover the rest of your shift. You look dead on your feet and we need you to stay in top condition - I have a feeling that if this isn't quelled immediately, the Turks will be going under some changes, and you're the next in command. I'll call Reno and a couple of the other Turks and tell them to get to Junon by tomorrow afternoon... yes. Go home, Tseng. I've got this."

* * *

I left the office, but not the building. I made my way to the gym several floors up and spent some time on the treadmill - despite how tired I felt, I was mentally active like never before and doubted I'd be able to sleep easily. It would likely be the same with everyone else involved in tonight's incidents, a fact that failed to comfort me. The sky outside slowly grew lighter and lighter: Midgar began to rise to a new day, the Turks prepared to work as hard as possible to bring these terrorists down, and I wondered why Verdot suddenly seemed so anxious about the position of our branch.


End file.
